An administrative judge’s ruling that Minnesota can move ahead with its new high school graduation tests has school administrators worried.

They fear high school students won’t have enough time to get the help they need to pass the exams.

Most troubling is the math test. This year’s juniors will be the first to take the math graduation test; it will be embedded in the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments.

Last year, nearly two-thirds of juniors failed a similar math exam.

“This is a daunting issue coming at us. These are almost 70 percent of our students, who might already be accepted to college, who are getting As and Bs … who might not get a diploma,” said Grace Keliher, director of governmental relations for the Minnesota School Boards Association.

“All that (student work), all those years, for nothing,” she said. “I don’t want to point fingers, but this is a huge problem.”

Lawmakers gave the Minnesota Department of Education the green light in 2005 to replace the Basic Skills Tests, the high school graduation test, with much more rigorous exit exams.

Administrative Law Judge Kathleen Sheehy’s ruling was released Thursday. It included testimony from a Sept. 3 hearing and written comments on the proposed graduation rules.

The old Basic Skills Tests were first given in eighth grade for math and reading and in 10th grade for writing. Students who failed had several years to get help, retake and pass the exams.

But now, starting with this year’s juniors, the graduation test for writing is given in ninth grade, reading in 10th grade and math in 11th grade.

Rick Spicuzza, assistant superintendent for assessment and curriculum for South Washington County Schools, said it’s unlikely that juniors who fail the math test can receive enough remediation in one year to retake and pass the exam and get their diplomas.

The Minnesota Department of Education, in a written response filed with the judge, argued that students now have more time to “learn and master the material before they are tested.”

Sen. Chuck Wiger, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said he plans to schedule hearings before the 2009 legislative session starts to examine modifications that might be made to the law, including a possible appeals process for seniors who have not passed the math test.

“We need to do our best to get it right. We need to continue on a course of high standards and expectations, but it does have to be done in partnership with districts,” Wiger said. “We need to give them the tools and resources to get it done and be successful.”

The school boards association has been in contact with state lawmakers about the need to make changes. And Keliher said that would be one of the group’s top priorities when the legislative session begins in January.

“We definitely will go back for some changes to give kids a chance,” she said. “We’re ready for the challenge to educate children to get them ready for the work force. But to let it all hang on one test, it’s not fair to our kids. As adults, we wouldn’t do this to ourselves.”

The Legislature initially passed a bill that would allow for appeals in the first few years of the math test, but Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed the measure.

School districts also are concerned about the costs. Tim Wald, principal of White Bear Lake Area High School’s south campus, estimates that retesting and remediation costs, which include staffing and data analysis, could cost the district $60,000 annually.

State education officials argued that money is available for remediation in the form of per-pupil aid for extended programs, including summer school.

Sheehy said in her ruling that “it seems clear that school districts will incur costs, perhaps substantial, in connection with the GRAD examination.” Sheehy wrote she assumed lawmakers anticipated those costs.

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